Seized Female Ammunition Courier Reveals ₦5m Deals with Bandits – DSS
By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul
KANO —- A 25-year-old suspected ammunition courier arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) has revealed details of illicit deals worth about ₦5 million with bandits operating in forest enclaves.
The suspect, Nafisa Usman, was apprehended in Kano with 200 rounds of ammunition while allegedly attempting to transport the consignment to Kankara in Katsina State.
Security sources said her arrest followed credible intelligence. “The suspect was intercepted during a targeted operation aimed at dismantling supply chains fueling banditry,” a source disclosed.
During interrogation, Usman reportedly confessed to supplying ammunition to bandits for about two months, with transactions estimated at ₦5 million.
“She admitted delivering consignments to a bandit leader identified as Mallam Haruna, who operates within the Kankara forest,” the source said.
The suspect also named other alleged recipients, including individuals identified as Buba and Abu, who were said to be active in the same forest area.
According to investigators, the ammunition was sourced from Lafia in Nasarawa State and routed through Kano for onward movement.
Usman further claimed that a contact known as “Teso,” allegedly linked to a soldier in Lafia, regularly supplied her with the consignments.
“She said she was introduced into the trade by a Kano-based livestock trader, identified as Sulaiman,” the source added.
The suspect expressed regret over her actions, stating that she had now been exposed and was willing to cooperate with authorities.
Security operatives say investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the network and dismantle the wider ammunition supply chain to forest-based bandits.